


A Final Gift

by HummusandPeeta



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Character Death, Death, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Moving On, Romance, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 08:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HummusandPeeta/pseuds/HummusandPeeta
Summary: Gwen has been running from her past and the memories that haunt her, but she still isn't able to find peace and happiness. When she is forced to go back to Bellwood, she ends up having to confront her past and must learn to accept it and move on. It turns out Kevin left her one last unexpected gift. (Warning - Character death) (One shot).
Relationships: Gwen Tennyson/Original Male Character(s), Kevin Levin/Gwen Tennyson
Kudos: 4





	A Final Gift

**Author's Note:**

> (Story reposted from my other account). Some important information before you start reading. For the purpose of this story, Kevin’s mother’s name is going to be Josephine since I couldn’t find her name on any of the official websites. This story is set after the events of Ultimate Alien all the while ignoring the existence of the Omniverse storyline. With that being said, Kevin’s father, Devin, did indeed exist and end up dying when Kevin was a child. Also, Kevin’s mother is still married to Harvey. 
> 
> Also, I apologize if the beginning of the story is a bit slow, I’m just trying to set up the atmosphere and get the facts straight. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters from the Ben 10 universe.

Twenty-year-old Gwen Tennyson sat at her desk in her dorm room trying to write down everything she needed to pack and do before her trip. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was forgetting something, and it was frustrating her. She was already in a bad mood and this wasn’t helping. She had woken up later than planned despite putting an alarm on her phone for 8:00 am the previous night. But she had been so exhausted from her day at work and school the day before that she had managed to sleep through her alarm ringing. She had woken up at 9:30 am, feeling rested but when she realized that she was already an hour and a half behind schedule, she felt a sense of panic settled in. It was a sunny Saturday in mid-October and it was the first day of her week off from university and she had a lot to do. She had a shift at work from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm before she had to head off to the bus station to catch the last bus to Bellwood. Before heading off to work, she had to shower, pack her bags and make herself a lunch to bring to work. 

She had managed to take a quick shower and had decided to make herself a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and was now on to packing her bags. She had about 45 minutes left before she had to leave her dorm room. As she took out her suitcase from underneath her bed and started packing it with things from her list, she started thinking back to the last time she had been in Bellwood. With a bit of a shock, she realized she hadn’t actually been back to Bellwood in almost two years. She had left Bellwood at the age of 18 to go study in a university in a neighbouring state. She needed to be able to get a fresh start where nobody would know her, she had become somewhat of a well-known public figure after the events with Dagon and Vilgax. But she also needed a fresh start, a chance to escape the ghosts and memories that haunted her in Bellwood. 

A wave of sadness washed over Gwen and she sat down on her bed, taking a small break from packing her bag. Even if it had been her decision to go back to Bellwood for her week off from school, she still wasn’t sure if she was ready to confront what still haunted her... She wasn’t sure if she was able to walk the streets of Bellwood again after Kevin’s death. 

Just thinking about him made her heart hurt. She didn’t like thinking back to that fateful day, but she couldn’t help it as the memories came rushing back.

* * *

_ It had started out as a normal day until Ben, Kevin and Gwen had received word that some aliens had crashed landed on the outskirts of Bellwood and were causing trouble. They had gone to investigate, and the mission had gone well. They had managed to round up and capture all the rogue aliens and some technologies they had stolen. They had regrouped near Kevin’s car while Ben called the Plumbers to help properly arrest the aliens and escort them back to their home planet.  _

_ Kevin and Gwen were sitting on the hood of his car, keeping an eye on the group of aliens tied up on the floor. Gwen had received a couple of bad scratches during the fight and Kevin was fussing over her, trying to put plasters on them. She was busy arguing with him that she would be fine, it wasn’t urgent, and they could take care of it when they got back to the base. In order to distract him from worrying about her, Gwen had decided to kiss him. It always distracted him and once again it worked like a charm. He had shed his metal armour in order to better feel the soft touch of Gwen’s lips.  _

_ They had both been so engrossed in their little impromptu make-out session that they didn’t notice the lone alien creep up from one of the buildings. It seemed they had missed him during the fight, and he was planning on getting revenge. Gwen only notice him when it was too late. She had opened her eyes briefly during their make-out session and suddenly noticed the alien creeping up behind them. She tensed as she prepared herself to bring out her pink mana has a shield. Simultaneously, Kevin, confused but the sudden lack of lips on his, had opened his eyes and noticed Gwen’s worried expression. But the alien had the element of surprise and she was too late in stopping him from firing a single shot from his weapon. In a matter of seconds, her life had changed.  _

_ Ben, who had been alerted to trouble by her scream, jumped to action, exiting the car and attacking the alien. Gwen immediately turned her attention to Kevin. He had a look of pure shock on his face as he looked down and clutched his hands to his chest. His shirt was covered in blood. He seemed to be in a trance as he simply stared at his chest. Gwen gasped. ‘’Kevin!’’ she screamed as he suddenly fell from the hood of his own car. She had quickly dropped on to the floor next to him, panic seized her. ‘’Kevin, it’s going to be okay, just stay with me.’’ she said, desperately trying to not only reassure him but herself as well. He was already so pale, this wasn’t good. She tried to pinpoint where the shot had hit him, but it was hard to figure out with all the blood.  _

_ Kevin seemed to finally snap out of his trance. ‘’Gwen.’’ he mumbled, trying to smile. ‘’It’s okay.’’ He knew it wasn’t. Deep down, he knew. Whatever that alien had fired at him had hit him somewhere near his heart and he could feel the life draining out of him. After all, he had experience with dying, and it felt eerily like the time Charmcaster had killed him. Gwen was hysterical and Kevin could see it. He needed to calm her down.  _

_ ‘’Gwen, look at me.’’ he said softly, trying to stifle violent coughs that were threatening to escape his mouth.  _

_ ‘’No Kevin, I just need to apply pressure on the wound. Stay with me. The Plumbers are going to be here any minute. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.’’ she said, panic lacing her voice.  _

_ ‘’I love you Gwen.’’ Kevin said, his voice barely a whisper. He felt even weaker than he did seconds before. Gwen could hear it too because she frantically stopped searching his chest for the wound and directed her attention to Kevin’s face. ‘’You made me the happiest man alive Gwen. I regret nothing because of you.’’ _

_ It was Gwen’s time to whisper. ‘’Please Kevin... You can’t leave, I need you.’’ she said as she grabbed his hands. _

_ ‘’I love you Gwen.’’ Kevin repeated, trying to keep his eyes open, but he was finding it increasingly impossible.  _

_ ‘’I love you too Kevin. Always and forever.’’ Gwen replied, tears streaming down her face. She leaned down and kissed him. As much as she didn’t want to accept it, she seemed, deep down, to know he didn’t have much time left. She tried to memorize the feel of his lips on hers. Reluctantly, she pulled back from the kiss, staring into Kevin’s eyes. He gifted her with one final smile and then he was gone. _

* * *

Since the incident, Gwen had found it hard to stay in Bellwood, there was nothing really left there for her. She had only really stayed for about a year afterwards because Kevin’s mother needed support and she owed it to Ben to help him. Ben, Gwen and their friends and families had all been devastated after Kevin’s death, but Gwen had spent a lot of time with Mrs. Levin, she couldn’t explain why, but she felt better when she was with her despite barely spending any time with her prior to Kevin’s death. 

But even the grief Ben and Gwen felt didn’t stop aliens from finding them and wanting to get revenge or simply cause chaos. Ben knew he needed to continue defending the planet, but Gwen had never been able to bring herself to go back to defending Earth. She couldn’t bear to be doing it without Kevin anymore. She never really realized how much she relied on Kevin during missions but also how she enjoyed having him by her side. It was comforting having him there since she trusted him and knew he always had her back and she had his. Besides, Ben had always been more independent and often took on aliens by himself, which meant that Kevin and Gwen often teamed up to do whatever they could to assist Ben. But since his death, she didn’t feel as safe as she did before on the battlefield and she now fully realized how dangerous fighting aliens was. Kevin had only been 18 when he died, he had his whole life ahead of him. 

So, after Kevin’s funeral, Gwen stayed in Bellwood to help Ben form a new team to help him. It had been a way for him to heal and move on after the loss of the friend he considered a brother. When Gwen first told him that she was leaving Bellwood, Ben didn’t take the news well. He didn’t understand why she had to move so far away when there was a perfectly good university on the outskirts of Bellwood. He understood and respected that she didn’t want to fight alongside him anymore, but he didn’t understand why she was leaving her family and friends. But he finally came around when she told him that she felt haunted in Bellwood by the memories that her and Kevin had shared there. She was also burdened by the fact that everyone in town now knew who she was and that she had powers. She could never truly be herself at the university in Bellwood since everyone would know her and already have preconceived ideas and judgments about her. She just needed to get away for a couple of years, start over and heal. Then she could decide if she was ready to come back to Bellwood. She even decided to use one of Kevin’s old ID masks, modified, of course, to change her appearance when at the new university. Ben had finally agreed and promised to visit her from time to time.

And to her surprise, the young changeling had kept his promise and visited her on her campus whenever he had the chance. Her Grandpa Max and her parents also came to visit her, just not as frequently. But when she had received a text from Ben a week ago telling her that Grandpa Max had been injured, she decided to finally go back to Bellwood and visit him. 

Taking a deep breath, Gwen stood back up from where she had been sitting on her bed. She needed to get back to packing, if she didn’t hurry, she was going to be late for work. And if she continued thinking of the past, she would lose all her courage about her decision to go back to Bellwood. 

In what must have been record time, Gwen managed to finish packing everything on her list and headed to work. 

* * *

It was now Sunday and Gwen had been in Bellwood for less than a day. The bus she had gotten on to after work to get to Bellwood had been late and had made many frequent stops throughout the evening. She had only arrived in Bellwood at 11:00 pm. Her parents had picked her up at the bus station in the downtown area and driven her to her childhood home. She had stayed up late talking with her parents, they had been enthusiastic to hear about her classes but really, they were more interested in her grades. Her parents had always expected nothing but the best from her. Luckily for Gwen, despite how hard her classes were, she was getting good grades.

After they had finished talking, Gwen finally decided to get some sleep, which wasn’t until 1:00 am. Seeing as she was going to bed so late, she had decided to sleep in the next morning and to go see Grandpa Max in the afternoon. 

That is where she was heading to now. After she woke up, showered and ate, she decided to walk to the nearby florist to get a nice bouquet for her grandfather before walking over to his home in the trailer park. Ben hadn’t gone into much detail when he had texted her the week before about Grandpa Max’s health, but she knew he had been injured during a mission with Ben. Honestly, Gwen was still shocked that her grandpa, now in his 70s, had decided to continue going on missions with Ben from time to time instead of just staying back and training the new recruits. Maybe this injury would finally change his mind about slowly easing into retirement. He was after all on bed rest for the next two months.

Without realizing it, she had entered the trailer park. She had been on autopilot while walking there, even if it had been two years since she last walked this route. She made it to Grandpa Max’s trailer and knocked on the door. 

‘’Grandpa Max, it’s me, Gwen.’’ she said as she waited for a response before entering his mobile house.

‘’Come in Gwen, it’s unlocked.’’ she heard Max say from inside. She took a deep breath and entered the trailer. Despite the stress she felt about Grandpa Max’s condition and the fact that she was back in Bellwood, she was still happy to see her beloved grandfather. 

* * *

Gwen had ended up spending two hours talking to Grandpa Max. It felt good to catch up with him and he seemed to really enjoy her company after being somewhat isolated since the beginning of his bed rest. She had spent the afternoon talking to Grandpa Max about her classes and her job at the school library. And her grandfather had dramatically recounted to her how he had ended up injuring himself. While they talked, she had gently suggested to him that he start thinking about retiring from active duty with Ben and just stick to training the new recruits. He didn’t seem too thrilled about the idea, but he still promised his granddaughter that he would think about it. 

When she noticed that Grandpa Max seemed to be tiring, she told him to get some rest and that she would come and visit him again the next night. She promised to stop at the grocery store before going to visit him in order to cook him supper. He told her that he was looking forward to it as she hugged him goodbye and stepped out of his trailer.

It was now 3:30 pm and Gwen debated what she should do next as she walked out of the trailer park. She had mentioned to Ben that she would go see him whenever he was free, but he had never answered her text this morning when she had asked if he was free to meet up later today. She assumed he was on a mission. It would then probably be wiser to head back home and work on some of the projects her teacher had given her over reading week so that she would be free whenever Ben came back from his mission.

She also had plans to meet up with Julie later in the week. As she mentally planned her week, Gwen started walking back to her house, taking the same route she had taken earlier that afternoon. 

Still deep in her thoughts, it took a couple of seconds for Gwen to realize that someone was talking to her. 

‘’Gwen dear, is that you?’’ she heard finally emerging from her thoughts. She turned around and noticed that the voice belonged to Kevin’s mother.

‘’Mrs. Levin!’’ Gwen exclaimed; a tad surprised. In her rush to get things ready to come back to Bellwood and see her grandfather, she had forgotten to call Mrs. Levin and let her know she would be in town. She knew there had been something she had forgotten to add to her list of things to pack and do before her trip!

Cursing herself silently for forgetting to contact the woman before her departure, Gwen hugged Mrs. Levin who seemed extremely surprised herself to see her in Bellwood.

‘’Gwen, it’s so good to see you.’’ Mrs. Levin said, releasing Gwen from a hug. ‘’I didn’t know you were going to be in Bellwood this weekend.’’ she said. If she was upset about Gwen forgetting to mention it, it wasn’t detectable in her voice. Still, Gwen felt guilty.

‘’I know, and I’m so sorry about that. It was a last-minute decision after I found out that Grandpa Max was injured and in the rush of things, I forget to call you to let you know.’’ Gwen said apologetically, looking down on the ground.

‘’Don’t worry about it Gwen, I completely understand! And it’s so good to see you again.’’ Mrs. Levin replied. ‘’And I heard about your grandfather, I’m sorry to hear he is injured. I hope he will make a fast recovery.’’ she said earnestly and warmly.

‘’Thank you.’’ Gwen smiled, looking back up at Kevin’s mother. 

‘’How long are you going to be staying in Bellwood for?’’ she asked. 

‘’I’m here until Friday, it’s actually my week off from school.’’ Gwen replied. ‘’I had actually planned on calling you before my departure to see if you wanted to get together at some point and catch up.’’ Gwen quickly continued. 

‘’I’d love nothing more.’’ Mrs. Levin said. ‘’I’m not sure what your schedule is for the rest of the week, but if you’re free tonight, I’d love to have you over for supper! Harvey is out of town for a work convention, so that way we could have some privacy. I could also make you a nice home cooked meal, I’m sure those can be hard to find on campus!’’ 

Gwen smiled and chuckled at Mrs. Levin’s offer. She had a similar sense of humour to Kevin. Kevin had always been so afraid of disappointing his mother with what he did and who he turned out to be. But after spending time with his mother, Gwen had discovered that his personality and values had been very similar to those of his mother.

‘’I’d love to come over for supper Mrs. Levin, as long as it’s not too much trouble. Thank you.’’ Gwen said earnestly. 

‘’Please call me Josephine and the pleasure is all mine.’’ Josephine Levin replied smiling at the lovely young lady Gwen was turning out to be. ‘’Why don’t you come over around 6:30 pm?’’

‘’That sounds great.’’ Gwen replied.

‘’Perfect! In that case, I should go get some ingredients for tonight! I’ll see you then dear.’’ Mrs. Levin said as she gave Gwen another hug. She also gave a quick wave as she continued her away down the sidewalk, in the direction of the grocery store.

* * *

At precisely 6:30 pm, Gwen stood in front of the Levin’s household. Despite being on time, she hesitated before knocking on the door. It just felt surreal being back at Kevin’s house, knowing that he wouldn’t be there. Taking in a deep breath and trying to control the emotions that were threatening to burst, she softly knocked on the front door. After a couple of seconds, she heard noises from behind the door and soon, Mrs. Levin was standing behind the now open door, welcoming her in. 

‘’Here, let me take your coat.’’ Mrs. Levin said as she closed the door behind Gwen. 

‘’Thank you.’’ Gwen said as she handed her coat to Kevin’s mom. As she stepped out of the entrance, she noticed that the house hadn't changed much since the last time she visited. The layout of the living room and the dining room were the same. Even if she had left Bellwood to escape the ghosts of her past, it was good and comforting to know that some things didn't change. Gwen smiled softly to herself before turning around to look at Kevin’s mother. ‘’Do you need help with anything?’’

‘’No, I have it all under control!’’ Mrs. Levin said as she closed the closet where she had just hung Gwen’s jacket. ‘’I just took our supper out of the oven. If you’re hungry, we can go sit at the table and start eating?’’

‘’That sounds great.’’ Gwen said as she followed Mrs. Levin into the dining room. ‘’And thank you again for inviting me.’’ Ever so polite, Gwen still couldn’t resist the urge to thank Kevin’s mom, who had gone through all this trouble for her at the last minute. 

‘’Oh, stop it Gwen, you know it’s my pleasure. And it really is great to see you again.’’ Mrs. Levin smiled at Gwen. ‘’Now take a seat, I’ll go grad you a plate. I made my famous chicken pot pie! Can I get you anything to drink at the same time?’’

‘’Just a glass of water is fine, thank you!’

‘’Perfect, I’ll be right back.’’ Mrs. Levin said leaving the room. 

Gwen settled into one of the four chairs at the round table in the dining room. Gwen was looking forward to eating the chicken pot pie. She had tried Mrs. Levin's dish before, it used to be one of Kevin’s favourite dishes and he often packed it when he was out working in his garage. Again, Gwen couldn’t help the small, yet sad smile that appeared on her face after thinking about Kevin.

Mrs. Levin walked back into the dining room carrying two plates of steaming chicken pot pie. She placed one in front of Gwen and then placed her own plate in front of the chair opposite of the young red head. She then quickly walked back to the kitchen in order to get their drinks. She then took a seat and motioned to Gwen that she could start eating. 

‘’So, tell me, how are you enjoying your new semester?’’ Mrs. Levin asked in between bites. 

‘’It’s great, the classes are a lot heavier compared to last year, but still incredibly interesting!’’ Gwen smiled warmly, answering Mrs. Levin’s question. 

‘’What about your job? Are you still working at the library?’’ 

‘’Yeah I’m still at the library, I’m the only student that stayed on from last year, so the atmosphere is a bit different, with all the new employees.’’ Gwen replied a bit, this time her smile faltering just a bit. It was barely noticeable, but to the trained eye of Mrs. Levin, it was detectable. After all, she had been the mother of Kevin Levin, she had been able to sniff out most of his lies. 

‘’Is that a bad thing that the staff changed? If I remember correctly, you complained a lot last year about how the employees were often late and didn’t do their jobs properly.’’ she questioned Gwen with a curious look. 

‘’Oh, well, they are more reliable than the last bunch. It’s just different...’’ she hesitated a bit before continuing. ‘’They are more friendly, I guess. They’re the kind of people that want to hang out all the time after work.’’

Mrs. Levin raised an eyebrow in question after Gwen’s statement. ‘’Again, that’s a bad thing?’’

‘’No. It’s just that...’’ Gwen hesitated again before adding a small white lie. ‘’It’s just that I’m busy with school so I don’t really hang out with them. So, we’re not really friends.’’

‘’Well that’s okay, you can’t be friends with everyone, dear.’’ Kevin’s mom reassured her. ‘’But you do make sure to make time for your other friends, right? You can’t just work and study.’’

‘’Yeah. If we have time.’’ Gwen, despite herself, lied again.

Mrs. Levin sighed as she gently put down her fork. ‘’Gwen? I don’t mean to insult you, but you do realize who you are talking to, right? I raised Kevin and he might have been able to trick others, but he never could fool me.’’ She reached her hand across the table, to gently grab Gwen’s hand. She gave Gwen’s hand a small, comforting squeeze, before continuing. ‘’What’s really going on Gwen?’’

‘’Nothing, I guess I’m just stressed with school and all the work I have to do. I haven’t been sleeping much to be honest.’’ Gwen appreciated what Mrs. Levin was trying to do for her, she cared and loved Gwen and wanted to make sure she was okay. And usually Gwen had no problem confiding to Josephine... But this was different. She wasn’t sure if she could share this with Kevin’s mother. 

Sensing that Gwen was on the verge of sharing what was really eating her up inside, Mrs. Levin played her final card. ‘’Gwen.’’ she said, looking at the young woman she loved as a daughter in the eyes. ‘’You know Kevin would want you to be happy, right?’’

Gwen averted her gaze from Mrs. Levin, trying to hold back the tears. But she knew the woman was right. Kevin would want her to be happy and Kevin’s mom was one of the best people to confide to. Without wanting to, tears started to flow from her eyes. Mrs. Levin immediately moved to the other side of the table, bringing one of the chairs with her, to sit down directly beside Gwen.

‘’Gwen dear, what’s wrong?’’ Mrs. Levin said, seriously concerned. She hadn’t seen the young woman be this sad and conflicted since her son’s passing. 

‘’It’s... well... It’s one of my friends...’’ she started, not sure how to explain this to Mrs. Levin. But the woman in question gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and Gwen managed to continue, slowly finding her words. ‘’It’s this guy, Harry, he’s in the same program as me and we became friends within the first couple of months of starting there. He’s the only one I’ve really been able to hang out with, he doesn’t ask many questions about me and my past, so I’ve always preferred hanging out with him compared to other people in my program. And he recently started working at the library with me. And it was great...’’

‘’Until what?’’ Mrs. Levin asked softly. 

‘’Until he asked me out...’’ Gwen almost whispered, scared to reveal what was really going on. ‘’And I almost said yes, but then...’’ she sighed, suddenly frustrated. ‘’I just don’t know how my heart could betray me like this! I still love Kevin, he was my soulmate...’’ she cried out, more tears streaming down her face. 

Mrs. Levin’s heart broke for the pain and turmoil Gwen was experiencing. She quickly embraced Gwen in a comforting hug. Mrs. Levin could tell Gwen had been bottling this up inside for a while and she needed to get this out. Mrs. Levin simply held Gwen until the young woman started to calm down. Her breathing returned to normal and Mrs. Levin gently pulled out of the embrace but held on to Gwen’s hands.

‘’Gwen, listen to me.’’ Mrs. Levin said firmly, but still kindly. ‘’It’s okay to feel how you are feeling. I felt the same way after my husband, Kevin’s father, died. I felt that I had lost my other half, that Devin had been the only one for me. It went on like that for years until I met Harvey. I first I thought it was just a strong connection, a good friend. But then I realized that I loved him. And I hated myself for it. How could I turn my back on the father of my child!? I felt like I was putting my happiness and myself before Kevin’s.’’ Mrs. Levin admitted to Gwen, realizing it was something she had never said out loud before, not even Kevin or Harvey knew how she had been feeling back then. 

‘’So, I immediately put an end to it. I stopped spending time with Harvey and I focused on Kevin and keeping the memory of his father alive. It didn’t take long for me to become depressed and I thought I deserved it since I had been the one to fall in love and betray my soulmate.’’ Josephine continued explaining to Gwen. Gwen sat there, attentively listening to the women. She obviously related and had probably been feeling some of the same emotions, Josephine thought to herself.

‘’And then one day it hit! Even though Devin was my first love, the father of our child and my best friend, I wasn’t tarnishing his memory by falling in love with someone else! Devin will always be special to me, he understood me in ways no one else did.’’ Mrs. Levin said, tears now gently streaming down her face. ‘’But Harvey was also able to provide me with love and friendship, and God knows I needed it. He just provided it in different ways. Harvey isn’t a replacement and I will never forget Devin. Just because Devin is dead, doesn’t mean that I have to ignore my needs and emotions’’. 

Mrs. Levin hoped that what she was saying was reassuring to Gwen. She seemed to be battling her emotions. Mrs. Levin knew Gwen understood, but like she had been in the past, Gwen was having a hard time accepting that.

‘’Gwen, everyone who knew you two knew how happy you made Kevin and how happy he made you. You guys complimented and balanced each other out. You were able to support one another. And nothing can ever take that away. Kevin will always be special to you and I know it.’’ Mrs. Levin said, looking Gwen directly in the eyes again. ‘’But I also know that this other young man can do the same, be your partner and friend, just in different ways.’’

Gwen was overwhelmed by emotions. Despite being so scared to admit what she was feeling, Mrs. Levin was right, she had been blaming herself for feeling love again after Kevin’s death. She hadn’t wanted to tell anyone or confront her own emotions since she still loved Kevin. But with Harry, it was a different kind of love. She was moved by Mrs. Levin’s understanding and love for her; Mrs. Levin could have easily been mad or stopped caring about Gwen years ago, but she never did. Finally managing to find her words again, Gwen spoke up. ‘’Mrs. Levin... I... Thank you. You were right I’ve been afraid to admit it to myself and for some stupid reason, I thought you would be mad, but I never stopped to think that you have experienced something similar.’’ Gwen said apologetically. 

‘’Gwen, never would I ever start hating you because you found yourself another boyfriend. I know what Kevin meant to you and you are like a daughter to me. That’s why it pains me to see you this way, you deserve happiness. This new love will never replace the love and the memories you cherish with Kevin. And I know that Kevin would be thinking the same thing. Kevin knows you will never forget him.’’ Mrs. Levin told Gwen sincerely. 

Gwen gave the woman a small, warm smile. Tears were running down her face again, but this time they were tears of relief and a little bit of happiness. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Kevin’s mother was right. It was something she would have to work on, but she could move on to Kevin without forgetting him. 

It was Gwen’s turn to embrace Kevin’s mom in a huge hug. She was incredibly grateful to have her in her life. ‘’Thank you so much.’’ the young redhead whispered as she hugged Josephine.

‘’You’re most welcome Gwen.’’ Mrs. Levin said, releasing Gwen from her embrace. She took a big breath and gave a small laugh. ‘’Are you feeling better, dear?’’ 

Gwen gave a small nod. 

‘’Good, and just to make sure you’re feeling better, let’s skip supper and eat dessert. Sweets always make me feel better and I’ve made us a wonderful chocolate cake!’’ Mrs. Levin exclaimed, standing up from her chair. 

‘’That sounds good.’’ Gwen softly laughed. 

At that, Mrs. Levin quickly scooped up both their plates and made her way into the kitchen to get their dessert. Gwen took a deep breath and worked on recomposing herself. She wiped the stray tears left on her face and sighed a breath of relief. Mrs. Levin had been right, admitting this to herself made her insecurities feel so insignificant. Kevin would want her to be happy. He had always strived to make her happy and she had done the same for him. Why would that change after his death? She seemed to finally accept that she could be happy because deep down she knew she would never forget Kevin. In their short time together, Kevin had had such an impact on her, he would always be a part of her.  _ Thank you for everything Kevin, I love you. _ She thought to herself. And hopefully somewhere out there, she hoped Kevin knew it. 

She smiled faintly as Mrs. Levin walked back into the room with two pieces of decadent chocolate cake. She placed a plate in front of Gwen and sat back down beside her. They both took a bite. Gwen had to admit, this was probably the best cake she had ever had. And she made sure to let Mrs. Levin know. 

‘’This is an amazing cake Mrs. Levin. Do you think I could bring some back with me to my dorm?’’ she asked. 

‘’Of course, dear! I’ll bake you a fresh one right before you leave.’’ she smiled at Gwen.

‘’Oh, that’s really nice, but I won’t be able to eat the whole cake by myself!’’ Gwen answered back.

‘’I know.’’ Mrs. Levin answered with a knowing smile. ‘’You’ll just have to share it with a friend.’’ she said, raising an eyebrow. 

Gwen laughed and smiled at Kevin’s mother. ‘’Okay, I will.’’ 

‘’Oh, and Gwen?’’ Mrs. Levin questioned.

‘’Yes?’’

‘’Once you’ve asked him out and everything is going well, why don’t you bring him round next time you visit, I’d love to meet him.’’

Gwen blushed, but nodded. She was indeed lucky to have Mrs. Levin in her life; it was another gift Kevin had left behind for her. 


End file.
